Tag: paying it forward

Marilyn and Bill Taylor visit the College of Education to meet with students returning from their study abroad trips.

Can something good really come from the loss of a cherished daughter? For one couple – and about 200 teachers and counting – the answer is “yes.”

Philanthropists Bill and Marilyn Taylor, Olathe, Kansas, created scholarships that have provided nearly 200 preservice teachers with a study abroad experience after their daughter, Megan, was killed. She was struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle on a high school band trip in Germany.

In 2002, the Taylors created the Megan E. Taylor Memorial Scholarship for Study Abroad and they have inspired future educators with their generosity and grace. The college recently produced a video about this amazing couple where they share their story and commitment to “paying it forward.”

“In Germany, when she passed away we were there for an additional four days and staying with the family, actually, that she was with and somewhere during that time, we decided that we had to make something good come out of this,” said Bill Taylor. “And so we came back and started to think about scholarships, and we just really felt like study abroad was an ‘extra’ and the term that we use and others use is ‘life changing.’”

Thank you, Taylors, for sharing Megan with your K-State family and for being the embodiment of “paying it forward.”